Maintaining gut health for top pig performance

In recent years it has been elucidated that
a healthy gut is the most important precondition
for transforming nutrients into
performance. Feed additives such as acidifiers,
probiotics and phytogenics are able to
influence gut health. Among these feed additives,
butyric acid is of particular importance.
There are several products on the
market providing salts of butyric acid in protected
and unprotected forms. Due to the
unpleasant persistent odour of butyric acid,
protection makes the handling of the product
easier. Another reason for protection is
to obtain stomach by-pass of butyric acid
and subsequent release of the active substance
in the small intestine. Encapsulation
of acids is a known form of protection.

Beneficial protection

There is also an innovative, beneficial protection
in the form of glycerides which is a
chemical compound of acids and glycerol.
The glycerol-acid compound is not influenced
by the pH level or digestive enzymes
of the stomach; therefore these compounds
reach the small intestine where the gradual
release of the undissociated acids through
the action of lipases takes place. In nature
butyric acid glycerides are found in the milk
of cows, sows and other species.

It is known that protected butyric acid is
an excellent growth promoter as it is an efficient
nutrient for the intestinal mucosa
increasing the density and length of villi and
enlarging the absorptive surface of the intestine.
Butyric acid is also known as an
antibacterial agent against pathogenic microorganisms,
including salmonella, clostridia,
Escherichia coli and brachyspira, and as
modulator of the intestinal flora supporting
useful micro-organisms such as lactobacilli.
Butyric acid enhances the reparation of gut
wall lesions caused by intestinal diseases and
nutritional imbalances.

The effect of butyric acid glycerides was
tested on a commercial farm in Italy, which
had problems with ileitis, caused by
Lawsonia intracellularis. Figs. 1-3 show the
difference between a healthy gut and a subclinical
or chronic form of ileitis.

The alteration of intestinal mucosa due to
Lawsonia intracellularis can lead to impaired
feed conversion and weight gain, as well as
poor group uniformity.

The trial was carried out on 70 day old fattening
pigs for 63 days on a commercial
farm in Italy with 850 Danbred sows. Some
1,025 pigs were divided into two groups.
Both groups received lincomycin and doxycycline
for the first 14 days. One group
received 0.2% lincomycin and commercial
acidifier at 0.3% inclusion rate, whereas the
other group received the dietary supplementation
with glycerides of butyric acids at
an inclusion rate of 0.2%.

During the trial, blood and faeces were
analysed to detect the presence of Lawsonia
intracellularis. The Lawsonia antibodies
were detected in blood of both groups. In
faeces the control and treated groups were
negative to Lawsonia except for one positive
60 days after the beginning of the trial.

The hematic analysis proved that it was
impossible to eradicate Lawsonia from both
the antibiotic and the glycerides group but it
was possible to maintain animal performance.

Increased resistance

The increased resistance to the infection by
the piglets receiving glycerides of butyric
acid can be attributed to:

Better gut and mucosa development.

Increased capacity of repairing lesions caused by pathogens.

Microflora control.

A commercial product, Biotronic
GutPower, is the combination of butyric,
caprylic and capric acids in the protected
glycerides form. Glycerides allow all acids to
act as an antibacterial in the intestine, and
furthermore caprylic and capric acids show
very strong antimicrobial activity in the
higher pH value of the intestine.

In addition, glycerides containing butyric
acid and medium chain fatty acids possess
nutritional value which is especially important
for young animals.

Medium-chain fatty acids, which are saturated
fatty acids mainly composed of 8-10
carbon units (caprylic and capric acids), have unique nutritional characteristics different
from those of long-chain fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are
more readily digested and absorbed than
long-chain triglycerides (LCT) and easily
utilised as energy.

Fig. 3. Ileitis. Loss of functionality of gut mucosa due to massive swelling.

Austrian trial

The efficacy of glycerides of butyric, caprylic
and capric acids was tested in a trial carried
out with weaned pigs in Biomin's Center of
Applied Animal Nutrition in Austria. Some
60 weaned piglets (Landrace x LargeWhite
x Pietrain) were divided into two groups
with three replications (30 animals per
group) that were homogeneous for weight
and sex.

One group received the diet containing no
growth promoting feed additive, whereas
the other group received the dietary supplementation
with glycerides of butyric, caprylic
and capric acids at an inclusion rate of
1kg/ton feed for the starter period and
0.5kg/t feed for the grower period.

The dietary supplementation with glycerides
of butyric, caprylic and capric acids
improved animal growth performance as
can be seen in Table 2. The final body
weight and ADWG were increased by 2.4
and 3.7%, respectively, whereas feed conversion
rate (FCR) decreased by 3.3% in the
trial group compared to these in the control
group (Table 2).

The feed intake was almost at the same
level for both groups. Although the differences
between the groups were not significant,
the results are substantial due to the
very high performance level of the animals in
both groups.

Optimising gut health is a key to improving
animal performance. Animals need support
to develop and maintain a healthy microflora
in their intestinal tract. Butyric, caprylic
and capric acids strengthen the intestine and
therefore improve animal performance and
protect the gut against the effects of
pathogens.